The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-03

play cards At last. however, he was de
coyed into Jim Moon saloon, and when he
left tho faro table he had parted with his
last cent. The next dry the hotel clerk,
learning Of his Losses, asked him to pay his
bill. This he could not do He was there
fore ordered to leave. While he was wan
dering through the streets, he saw the gam
bier who had won his money eating an ex-
pensive dinner and drinking wine in the
highest-priced restaurant in Denver. After
moments hesitation, be went in and told
the gambler that be was hungry and penni-
less. and asked for 81 out of the thousands
he had lost
The gambler laughed at him. Smith, for
the tenderfoot was the now famous gambler,
looked the man in the face and said: ''If
can't eat, swear, sir, you shan'tn Prompt
ly drawing revolver he calmly shot the
gambler through the heart. There was no
organized police force in Denver then, but
Smith walked to the Jail at once and gave
himself up The shooting excited much in
terest, and Smith would have been released
Immediately had the gamblers not deter
mined to hang him. One night Smiths cell
door was opened. He was told that he
would find horse waiting at the gate, and
| he had better make his way out of Colorado
as fast as possible. When his escape was
made public the gamblers were furious, and
Bill Stevens, who had been the partner Of
the murdered gambler, swore he would kill
Smith if he had to wait ten years.
Smith next came into public notice two
years later in Austin, Tex. He had evil
IDENTIFY made good use of his time, for when
he arrived there he had a large sum of
money with him. He took a prominent
part in several shooting affairs, and soon be-
came recognized as man of desperate cour-
age, who never drew pistol unless he
meant to shoot, and was wont to draw on
very small provocation. He formed part
| nership with Ben Thompson, who was shot
few years ago in Jack Harris theatre, in
San Antonio, and together they opened
faro bank. They made money fast
until one night two men were killed
in their place, and they were obliged
| to close for awhile They never en-
| tirely dissolved partnership, however, and
| it lasted until Ben Thompson's death. Seven
| years after Smith left Denver he was obliged
to go to Houston, Tex, on business. While
walking across the plaza in front of the
market he came face to face with Bill Ste
vens. Though seven years had changed
| them both, they recognized each other at
once, and, without speaking, they drew their
weapons They were only twenty feet apart
when the duel began. Their pistols were
discharged almost simultaneously, but
neither man fell. Again and again
| they fired, and at each shot adj
Vanced. When they were so near
| that they could almost touch each other,
both men fell. The crowd which had gath
cred about the corners of the plaza thought
| they were both dead, and were about to ad-
vance, when they saw the duel was not over.
The pistols of both men were empty. After
| several attempts, Stevens got on his hands
and knees, and was crawling toward Smith
with long knife he had drawn from his belt
| to give him last blow, when Smith saw his
| intention He was unable to move, but as
| Stevens raised his arm for the death blow, he
struch him on the head with the butt of his
| pistol. They fell over each other and lay in
heap for several minutes. Then Smith drew
a cartridge from his belt, and with his teeth
| got it into his pistol. Just as Stevens was re-
| gaining his consciousness, Smith shot him
through the head Every shot had taken
effect. Smith had six bullets in his body
| He recovered, however, and was tried for
murder. The jury acquitted him on the
ground of self-defense. When Smith recov-
cred sufficiently to travel he returned to
Austin. He was welcomed home as a hero
| The horses were taken from his carriage and
| he was dragged in triumph by the people to
| his home. For the past few years Smith is
not known to have killed anyone, but the
people in the Southwest have great respect
| for him, and, except by stranger, he is al
ways treated with marked courtesy. He
| now owns ranch at Coreda Springs, and
| is thought to be rich What brought Smith
/ to New York could not be learned